Baked Artichoke Risotto with Radicchio

January 8, 2015 31 Comments

Creamy baked artichoke risotto casserole loaded with artichokes and radicchio, topped with lemon-caper breadcrumbs…for the Food Network #ComfortFoodFeast.

We're back! The Food Network's #FallFest is now done, and we start a new series called #ComfortFoodFeast as we bundle up by the fire for the cold nights of winter.

Risotto is a demanding mistress, but some nights it fits my mood. I add a cup of hot broth to toasted Arborio rice, and relax into a meditation of stirring, attention focused on the rice as I watch it slowly absorb the liquid. I mull over my day, turning over conversations or work problems in my mind, and add another cup of hot broth to the rice. As snow or rain gently falls outside the window, I continue my cooking meditation and witness the rice shapeshift into a creamy, comforting dish. I scoop some out onto a warmed plate and top it with thin shavings of a black truffle and some Parmesan, and pour a glass of Pinot Noir.

However.

The reality is that I frequently multitask dinner on the run. I throw a low-maintenance vegetarian dish of vegetables and grains or legumes together, shove it into the oven to bake while I toss a salad and cook some meat for my husband, and hunt through the refrigerator or garden for side dish ideas. Most nights, it's more gauntlet than meditation.

I gave up on getting super-organized a long time ago, and figured there had to be an easier way of making risotto. I've made it in the slow-cooker with success, and wanted to see if I could bake it in a casserole dish that could be served straight from the oven to the table where everyone could just serve themselves. Thankfully, there is.

This is a fail-safe, low-maintenance, easy way to do all your risotto in the future without sacrificing a bit of trademark creaminess. I dare you to depict a texture difference between this version and the Italian method of coddling the rice.

General Cooking Tips:

You must use a short-grain rice like Arborio to make risotto. It's a special kind of rice that softens to a creamy stage during cooking in liquid that still maintains a chewy center. Otherwise, it would be like mush. There's arguably a time and place for mush, but this isn't it. Farro could be substituted, but it won't get as creamy on its own without help from additional cheese (IMHO).

Toasting the rice with the vegetables in the beginning bring up the flavor of the rice, and helps to ensure a chewy texture at the end.

Be sure to stir after the first 15 minutes for about 20 seconds, and again at the end when the Parmesan and/or Gruyère is added to stimulate the creaminess.

I use Trader Joe's Arborio Rice and Monterey Farms Grilled ArtiHearts™.

Wimpy Tips:

Scallops, shrimp, and crab are also good partners with risotto, and go better with the artichokes. Or kick up your heels and stir in broiled or grilled lobster tail meat. I typically cook them separate and stir them into the portion allotted to the meat/fish eaters at the table. I eat some fish, but I prefer my risotto straight up vegetarian.

If you must have meat, fry up some bacon in the beginning, set aside and crumble, and use the bacon grease in place of olive oil to sauté the vegetables and rice. Stir in the bacon crumbles when the cheese is added.

Vegan Tips:

Nix the Parmesan / Gruyère cheese sauté the breadcrumbs in olive oil instead of butter. Risotto is creamy enough without the cheese, although you may need a little extra broth.

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4.75 from 16 votes